The House Judiciary Committee, acting on a three-bill package, also approved legislation adding synthetic heroin, synthetic cocaine and the hallucinogenic plant salvia, to the list of banned substances.

The committee's approval on the synthetic marijuana ban is the second bite at the apple for Rep. Jennifer Mann, D-Lehigh, who got the bill through the House last year, but failed to get a vote in the state Senate.

In a brief interview Tuesday, Mann said the synthetic marijuana blends, which are sold as incense and are sweetened with mint or other fruit flavors, were a hazard to young people who think they're getting a safe and legal high, but who are actually inhaling dangerous chemicals.

The most popular varieties are sold under the brand names "K2" or "Spice," she said.

The synthetic cocaine and heroin blends are sold as "bath salts" and mimic the effects of the real drug when they're snorted or injected, a Judiciary Committee aide said.

Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, which have age requirements for purchase, the synthetic narcotics are "very easy to obtain" in convenience stores or from tobacconists, Mann said.

"There's nothing to stop a 14- or 15-year-old kid from buying it," Mann said, adding that users have ended up in the emergency room or the morgue after consuming the drugs. "This is about public safety."

The full House is expected to consider the bills, but no timeline has been set.

Committee approval of Mann's bill adding more penalties to the state's books came as another legislative panel met at the same time to look for ways to save money on exploding state prisons costs.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, heard from a battery of experts on Tuesday.

At a cost of more than $1 billion, spending on the state Department of Corrections comprises 7 percent of the total General Fund budget and lawmakers are looking for ways to get more bang for their buck while dealing with an inmate population that's larger than the city of Harrisburg.

The irony of the two meetings was not lost on Andy Hoover, the Capitol lobbyist for the state branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

"The Senate Judiciary Committee is being proactive in looking for cost-savings and new policies," Hoover said. "I'm concerned the House bill is not as effective and will cost us more."

Mann rejected Hoovers claim, arguing that lawmakers have a responsibility for public safety.